Trend: Still water from crystal clear source north of the Arctic Circle

The air vibrates with heat even 13 miles north of the Arctic Circle. It is the hottest day of the summer. A span leads out into the spring, where you can fill the glass with crystal clear water. It is rippling fresh and cold, the same temperature as wintertime, when the thermometer also shows 30 but minus instead of plus. The water in the spring never becomes covered with ice. It’s natural science but in the moment it feels more like magic.

North of the Arctic Circle between the villages of Koskullskulle and Tjautjas, in untouched nature on the Hirvasåive mountain in Gällivare municipality, spring water has been produced in bottles since 1993.

Crystal clear water

After passing the villa idyll in the village of Koskullskulle in Gällivare municipality, the eye has just got used to the fact that nothing but forest and marshes surrounds the winding country road. But suddenly it appears: A red industrial building with a sheet metal facade right next to the road. The building is a stone’s throw from the cold spring itself, which in summer is surrounded by soft light green tufts and brilliant mountain flowers. The crystal-clear water ripples around moss-covered rocks. A small bulge in the sand tells of a pipe that runs directly from the source to the Åive water factory. On the way, it passes a filter to filter out any grains of sand, before it is bottled and delivered to customers throughout Sweden.

– It’s probably actually what we sell the most now, although our lemon-flavored co-colored water is also popular. In the carbonated, flavored water on the market, it is easier to hide the natural taste. Compared to other mineral waters, our spring water has low levels of salts, nitrogen, chlorine and fluorine. The clean taste is noticeable above all in the still water.

The quality requirements for mineral water to be sold on the market are high, but there are constant checks.